- In a video summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Joe Biden threatened consequences should the conflict in Ukraine escalate.
- After the two-hour conversation, the White House announced that Biden had expressed “the deep concern of the United States and our European allies” about the Ukraine crisis.
- US President Biden now wants to consult with European allies.
Meanwhile, Biden made clear that “the United States and our allies will respond with strong economic and other measures in the event of a military escalation.” The White House also announced that Biden reiterated his support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He called for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy.
After his conversation with Putin, Biden wanted to consult with outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the White House announced.
The Russian government did not provide a statement initially. According to the Kremlin, Putin and Biden were linked via a specially protected, tap-resistant line of negotiations, which had been previously scheduled for several hours.
Ukraine conflict theme
The United States has accused Russia of deploying troops close to the border with Ukraine for weeks. According to this, the West fears a Russian invasion of the former Soviet Republic. Russia rejects this and accuses Ukraine of deploying more than 120,000 soldiers on the line in the separatist regions.
“Russia has no plans to attack anyone, but we have our fears and our red lines,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said before the video summit. Last week, Putin said that moving NATO’s military infrastructure to Ukraine could represent such a “red line” from the Russian perspective. The Kremlin chief spoke in favor of a written end to NATO’s eastward expansion.
The video summit also addressed cyber security in both countries as well as Iran’s nuclear program and other international conflicts. As heads of state, Putin and Biden met in person for the first time in Geneva in June.
Legend:
The first summit between Putin (left) and Biden took place in Geneva last June.
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